TIRUMALA JEO REVIEWS ON THUMBURU THEERTHA MUKKOTI ARRANGEMENTS

Tirumala, 19 Mar. 16: Tirumala JEO Sri K S Sreenivasa Raju today said that all preparations were made for convenience of the devotees who will participate in the Mukkoti Festival commencing on March 22nd at Tumburu Thirthams, the holy water spring, 7.5 kms away from the Srivari Temple on the hill shrine.

Speaking to reporters at Annamayya Bhavan, the TTD JEO said that anticipating huge turnout of the devotees for the auspicious event over One lakh water packets and 60,000 packets of butter milk were kept ready for distribution.

From the afternoon of March 22nd, the Anna Prasadam department will distribute packets of Sambar rice, Pulihara and Curd rice to devotees. The engineering department has been advised to set up sheds and ladders all along the forest path for benefit of devotees, to rest, walk and also consume lunch, he said.

The police and forest officials have been directed to ensure that the devotees coming from Mamandur and Kukkaladoddi forest region should not bring any cooking utensils but to partake the food provided by the TTD itself. He also instructed the health department to give special attention to maintain cleanliness in the region of the Mukkoti festival in the forest belt.

The Forest, Vigilance and the Police department were advised to coordinate and give fool proof protection to devotees all along the route in the Tirumala hills.

The health officials were directed to keep three Ambulances, necessary medicines, and also para medics at crucial junctions. All departments are to coordinate and ensure against any fire accidents in the forest region in view of the onset of summer, he said.

Among those who participated in the review meeting were Tirumala Addl SP Sri Trimurtulu, DFO Sri TV Subba Reddy, SE Sri Ramachandra Reddy, Temple DyEO Sri C Ramana, VGO Sri Ravindra Reddy, Health Officer Smt Sharmista, Catering Officer Sri Shastry and others.

SIGINIFICANCE OF THUMBURU THEERTHA MUKKOTI

Temple and puranic legends say that nearly 3.50 lakh holy theerthams (springs) were prevalent in the Seshachalam hill ranges of Tirumala. But prominent seven among them known for significant for devotional, Dharmic and salvatry impact were Swami Pushkarini, Kumaradara, Tumburu, Ramakrishna Agasha Ganga, Papavinasam and Pandava Thirtham. Traditions say that holy bath in these thirthams at auspicious muhurtams earned devotees salvation and absolved them from sins.

The Tumburu Thirtham Mukkoti is being celebrated grandly on March 23rd at the Uttara Phalguni nakshatram on full moon day of Phalguna masam.